News, updates, and (mostly viable) rumors relating to development of science fiction / fantasy television productions. If you have tips or more info on these or other productions, please pass them along in the comments.
Development announcements are continuing to roll in as the networks are having their upfront presentations with the advertisers and unveiling their schedules as well as what they have in the pipeline.
Development:
Galaxy Quest: This announcement probably caused the most buzz last week as word broke that a TV series adaptation of this beloved sci fi parody is in the works. The original writer of the film Robert Gordon will be brought onboard to work on the scripts and he will also executive produce along with the original director Dean Parisot. The specifics of the series have not been revealed yet nor is it likely that any of the original stars will be involved with the television version. A network has not been attached to the series yet, but there should be plenty of interest in it and the show will likely be targeted to debut sometime in 2016.
We Are All Completely Fine / The People Under the Stairs: Horror master Wes Craven is jumping onboard with Syfy to develop these two horror series. Following are the descriptions that Hollywood Report gives for each.
We Are All Completely Fine, based on the book by Daryl Gregory. Fine tells the story of an enigmatic psychologist, Dr. Jan Sayer, who gathers survivors of five horror movie scenarios in a support group — and unwittingly unlocks the evils of her patients’ pasts. As their traumas are brought back to the surface, they uncover which monsters they face are within … and which are lurking in plain sight.
The People Under the Stairs, meanwhile, is based on Craven’s classic 1991 film of the same name. When a young woman goes missing at the grand Robeson Family Manor, the search for her unveils the centuries-old horrors that lie deep within the estate. It is described as a contemporary Downton Abbey meets Amityville Horror.
These seem like odd additions to Syfy’s slate considering their alleged return to more science fiction oriented programming and all the other projects they currently have in the pipeline. But based on the low ratings that network has been seeing of late, perhaps they are keeping their options open for shifts in other directions.
Mr. Postman: David Robert Mitchell, director of indie horror film It Follows, is currently developing this series that Hollywood Reporter describes as following “a mailman who investigates the dark mysteries within his all-American town after a horrific event occurs on his own street”. He is working with Universal Cable Productions and Benderspink, but no network or target debut date has been announced yet.
Updates:
Breed: TNT has passed on this pilot about “a detective who discovers that a strange creature is responsible for a series of murders in the Pacific Northwest”. According to Variety, the regime change at that network had a lot to do with the decision as the new bosses have decided to take the network in a new direction. There was no word on whether Breed‘s producers would try to shop the series around to other venues.
